King of Games
by BetaRayThorse
Summary: I always thought Yugioh would be a lot more interesting if there weren't card games in it, so I rewrote it. This is a heavily altered retelling of Yugioh featuring: ships like there's no tomorrow, Otogi being friends with Jonouchi and Honda from the start, Anzu having actual character development, and more!


AN: AN: Pairings are Atem/Kaiba, Yugi/Ryou, Otogi/Honda, Jonouchi/Otogi/Honda, and Ryou/Yugi

* * *

The boys lined up side by side in the gymnasium. Two of their classmates stood in front of them.

"Jonouchi," the boy with dice dangling from his ears said.

The blond stepped out of the crowd and stood beside Otogi,who high-fived him.

"Really, Jonouchi? Traitor," The other boy standing in front teased.

"Hey, he got to pick first, Honda. Don't be a sore loser!" Jonouchi teased back.

"Same goes to you when we kick your ass. Tanzan, get your ass over here."

A tall, muscular boy joined Honda.

"Gidayu," Otogi picked next.

"Kaoru."

"Shoko."

They continued picking names until only a short boy was left. He was looking at the floor instead of at them. He had blond bangs, and the rest of his black hair stood up in spikes. The tips were maroon. He was used to being the last one picked for teams.

"And... that looks like everyone!" Otogi said.

"Looks like it," Honda said back. "Hey, Jonouchi, tip the ball up for us."

No one pointed out that there was still someone who hadn't been picked for a team. No one even shot him a questioning glance.

"Um, both teams have the same amount of players... Which team should I join?" Yugi quietly spook up.

Jonouchi had thrown the ball in the air. Honda had swiped it and was holding it, looking around for someone to pass it to. He tossed it to Tanzan. Yugi was lost in the commotion.

"Honda picked last, so I guess I'm on Jonouchi's team?"

Gidayu stole the ball from Tanzan. Yugi sighed. Even if he put himself into the game, they would just ignore him. He took a seat on the bench, and hoping that he wouldn't get in trouble with the gym teacher for not playing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rubix cube. Last time it only took him a day to solve it, and his grandfather had been incredibly impressed with him. He could use this time to get better at it.

Yugi loved puzzles and games. Not only that, but he was good at them too. He was famous for it in his family.

* * *

Lunch came. Yugi sat at the back corner of the classroom. He had his lunch box on one side of the desk and a gold box on the other. Time flew as he worked on the puzzle pieces inside of it.

This was Yugi's greatest possession. His grandfather had found this back when he worked as an archaeologist. Apparently however solved it would be gifted with dark powers and have their wish granted. Yugi was mostly interested in just solving the puzzle, but he wouldn't mind his wish being granted.

Ever since he got the puzzle, he had always wished for friends.

Yugi was a lonely boy. The closest thing he had to friends where his grandfather and Anzu. His grandfather didn't count, and Anzu preferred her female friends over him. Yugi couldn't blame her. Things couldn't be like they were when they were children.

Yugi was pulled out of his thoughts when his strawberry milk was stolen.

"Hey!"

He reached for the beverage, only to have Jonouchi pull it even further away. The blond then tossed it to Honda.

"Aw, look, he's drinking milk!" Otogi joined in on the teasing.

"If I was that short, I'd be trying everything to get taller too." Honda said.

The trio were Yugi's bullies. Otogi was the leader, which Yugi hated because the two of them had so much in common. They both liked games and lived in game shops. He was sure they could have been good friends if Otogi didn't hate him for some reason. The man had a grudge against Yugi, and despite him trying, he was never able to figure out why. Honda and Jonouchi were best friends with Otogi and more than happy to help him pick on Yugi.

"You can take my milk, just please leave me alone!" Yugi said, voice caught between a whimper and a shout.

Jonouchi laughed. "Wow, Yugi, we just came to say hey!"

"Yeah right," Yugi mumbled to himself. "You guys always make fun of me..."

"Hey! Stop it!" a female voice ordered.

The three bullies froze. Anzu crossed the room and stood between them and Yugi, who wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or ashamed that he needed saving. Otogi gritted his teeth.

"What do you think you're doing, pricks?" Anzu asked.

Anzu was a force of nature. The woman was on the basketball team, made good grades, and was popular in school. Woe be to the man or woman who crossed her! She was even known to speak up to teachers when they were being unfair to their students. Yugi considered himself lucky to call her a friend.

"Just checking in on the squirt," Otogi said in a challenging tone.

"Give him his milk back," Anzu demanded.

"Fine," Jonouchi said.

He poured the milk onto the rest of Yugi's lunch. The teenager could only watch. This was not the first time this had happened.

"Go. Leave before I do something I regret," Anzu threatened.

Otogi stared her down. Anzu didn't look away.

"Tch. You're lucky you're a girl."

"You're a coward. Wanna go on the court, one on one?"

"Sports are the one game I don't play. Let me know when you play a game that requires brains, then you're on."

Otogi left the classroom, making sure to shove Anzu on his way out. Honda and Jonouchi followed after him. Anzu let out a frustrated sigh and sat across from Yugi.

"Don't let them get to you, Yugi. People like that pick on others because they don't feel good about themselves."

"It's fine. I don't mind it," Yugi said, not knowing what else he could say.

Anzu looked at him, and her eye were filled with pity. Yugi couldn't keep eye contact.

"Hey, you can have some of my lunch, and we can walk home together. How's that sound?"

"It's up to you. I'm fine either way."

Yugi went back to working on his puzzle, and he wished even harder that it would grant him true friends, like he had been with Anzu when they were younger.

* * *

Yugi said goodbye to Anzu at the game shop. His grandfather was busy dealing with customers, but he waved when he saw Yugi. He went upstairs, pulled out his notebook, and he did his homework. After that, he worked on his Egyptian puzzle.

It was a Friday night. Yugi was spending it alone, like he usually did.

* * *

"Mutou, do you have a moment?"

Yugi was about to leave the classroom, but he turned around when he heard the teacher call out to him. The room had already emptied out.

"Yeah, sure!"

The teacher was an older man, and Yugi had always liked him. He was kind. He took teaching seriously, and he was always patient with Yugi when he had questions.

"I've noticed that you and some your classmates have... strained relationships. If there's anything going on, you can always talk to me about it. I will not tolerate my students being cruel to others."

Yugi's face turned red. He kept his gaze down.

"Nothing is going on, Jomei. I get along with my classmates just fine."

It was a lie, but Yugi couldn't bear the thought of getting the three in trouble.

"Are you sure, Mutou? You can trust me."

Yugi nodded. The teacher sighed.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

With a nod, Yugi walked out of the classroom. He wanted to go home and work on his puzzle. Jonouchi was standing right outside the door, with his back pressed against the wall shared with the classroom. As Yugi looked his way and they locked eyes, Yugi realized he had heard everything. He was expecting threats, and yet, Jonouchi looked thankful. They didn't say anything to each other.

* * *

Yugi made good progress on the puzzle that night. He got half of it assembled, which was more than he had managed in the five years he had been working on it. The pieces were jagged and bulky, but the right ones would click into place with each other.

* * *

The next week of school went by peacefully, and Yugi felt like he was in a dream. Jonouchi, Honda, and Otogi hadn't shoved his books out of his hands or mocked him in front of his other classmates. Jonouchi would pick him in sports, despite Otogi's glares. Honda became indifferent to him. Yugi knew this was his karma for not tattling on them.

It all came to a head when Yugi stayed in the library after school that Friday. His grandfather was visiting friends and wouldn't be home until later, so Yugi had decided to work on his current obsession, the Egyptian puzzle, in the library that afternoon for a change of pace. He was so close to finishing it! He just had a few pieces left to place in the front. Besides that, the puzzle had taken on the form of a pyramid, and it had a loop at the top where he could pass a string through.

Domino High School had a large library, and Yugi was sitting in a secluded corner on the second floor. The librarian was playing solitaire on his computer.

Jonouchi walked in and went into one of the nearby isles of books. Yugi found this strange because the only time he had seen Jonouchi with books was when he was napping on them. Five minutes later, Otogi walked into the same isle. The three of them, plus the librarian, were the only people in the library. Yugi could faintly hear what they were talking about.

"-the Hell is with you, dude?" Otogi said.

"I'm done picking on Yugi. He stood up for me. Why the fuck are we bullying him anyway? What kind of man does that make us?"

"It's fun. Don't act like you don't enjoy it," Otogi spat.

Yugi's stomach twisted in knots. He wanted to cry, but he was also so touched that Jonouchi was defending him.

"Well I don't anymore! I'm ashamed of myself, and if you're a man, you should be too."

"What are you saying, Jonouchi? That you're not going to pick on him with me and Honda anymore?"

Otogi's words were filled with venom, and they made Yugi shake.

"My god, you're obsessed with him!"

"Answer the question, mutt."

Jonouchi let out a frustrated sigh.

"We're done, Otogi. Don't talk to me anymore."

"Wait." Otogi's voice had a quiver of fear to it. "You think you can just walk away, after everything we've been through? I'll tell everyone about Sae."

Yugi didn't know anyone named Sae. Despite this, he wanted to rush to Jonouchi's side and protect him, forbid Otogi from sharing his secret.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me."

Yugi heard the sound of something heavy hit the bookcase, then Otogi let out a short grunt of pain. Yugi focused on his puzzle. It was coming together so easily right now.

"Fuck you, Otogi."

Otogi let out a cold, shrill laughter. Yugi shivered.

"You wish, pretty boy."

There was a stretch of silence, and a few seconds later, Jonouchi walked out of the aisle. He glanced at Yugi as he passed. He seemed startled that the shorter boy was there and had overheard their conversation, but he said nothing as he left. Yugi's legs felt like they were made of jelly, but somehow, Yugi scooped up the almost completed puzzle and the remaining pieces and walked over to Otogi. He was leaning against the bookshelf, eyes closed and rapidly twirling his hair.

Something looked like it had cracked in Otogi. He normally had a calm, if not smug, expression. Now he looked stressed and like he was once slip away from breaking completely.

"Um..."

Otogi looked at him. Yugi reminded himself that he had to be brave.

But he felt so small.

"Please don't tell Jonouchi's secret. I don't know what it is, but you two are friends, right? You should be nice to each other..."

Otogi slapped him. Yugi fell to the floor.

"Shut up!"

Otogi looked deranged. He grabbed Yugi's hair, and his puzzle fell out of his arms.

"I hate you so much, Yugi, and you don't even know why. My life has been Hell because of you. Why should you care if I ruin Jonouchi's life, huh? He's been nothing but mean to you."

Because Yugi was kind. He couldn't stand the thought of someone else being hurt.

The puzzle was missing just two pieces, and looking at it now, Yugi could perfectly see where they were supposed to go. His body seemed to move on its own as he slipped the pieces into place.

The room was enveloped in a wave of darkness. As the shadow retreated, it took the lights with it. Yugi pushed Otogi's hand away and stood. There was a golden, glowing Eye of Horus on his head, which slowly faded away.

"What? The power's out? It's not even storming!"

"Your heart is wicked, Otogi." Yugi's voice was deeper, but it was also more childlike in tone. His words had become whimsical.

"Shut up, pipsqueak!"

Yugi clicked his tongue and waved his finger at Otogi.

"You like games too, right Otogi? How about we play a game? If I win, you take Jonouchi's secret to the grave. If you win, I'll be your obedient slave."

Otogi laughed, deranged. This did not disturb Yugi.

"Oh, I've been wanting to play a game with you for a long time, Yugi!" he roared. "I haven't made my perfect game yet, but whatever game you want, I'll demolish you!"

"You keep a knife on you, don't you, Otogi? Let me see it."

"How did you- Whatever. Here."

He pulled a pocket knife out of hi back pocket and held it out to Yugi, who took it and walked to the table he had been sitting at.

"Rules are simple," Yugi explained. "We'll take turns stabbing the table between our fingers, and we'll go faster each round. If you can't increase your speed or you stab yourself, you lose."

"You're on, Yugi! I will show you and the entire world who's better at games!"

"Be careful though," Yugi teased, "if you play with rage in you're heart, you'll slip up."

"You can say that now, but you're going to be the one losing a finger!"

"Or hand." Yugi grinned. "I like games where the stakes are high. Anyway, this is the pattern."

He placed his left hand on the table. Slowly, he took the knife and stabbed the area on the outside of his thumb. Then, the area between his thumb and his pointer finger. The pattern continued until he got to the outside of hi pinky, and then he did the reverse so he ended on stabbing the outside of his thumb. He handed the knife to Otogi.

"Hah! That's easy. I'm more dexterous than you are."

"Ah, and one more think. This is a Shadow Game. Cheat, and there will be consequences."

"I don't need to cheat to beat you, Yugi, and I have my honor."

He repeated the pattern easily. He handed it back to Yugi who did the same thing at faster pace. They exchanged the knife four more times. When Yugi got the knife back, he stabbed between his fingers rapidly, never breaking eye contact with Otogi. The taller man was sweating and breathing shallowly. He placed a hand over his chest.

"This is a game you have to keep your cool in," Yugi warned. "You should know that."

"Shut up!" Otogi roared. He began the pattern. His motions were sloppy but quick. He almost caught his middle finger, but the knife landed a centimeter away from his flesh. "If I was you, I'd back down now. You might lose your pride, but at least you'll still have your fingers."

He handed the knife back to Yugi. Yugi stabbed between his fingers quicker than Yugi had. Otogi was panicking when he got the knife back. Yugi was completely calm and silent.

"Fuck you, Yugi! I'm better than you!" He stabbed between his thumb and pointer finger. "I'll show the world, your grandfather, my father, everyone, that I am better than you, Yugi Mutou!"

He stabbed outside his pinky. The next time the knife went down, it landed on his pinky finger, severing it. He screamed. Blood splattered, and where it touched his skin, it sank into it. Yugi clicked his tongue again.

"I told you that you had to keep a cool head, didn't I? Remember our deal, Otogi. Break it, and you will lose more than just your hand."

As the lights came back on, Yugi faded with the shadows. Otogi was clutching his hand, still yelling. The librarian rushed upstairs.

* * *

Honda was awoken by a knock on the door at 1 in the morning. He opened it to find Otogi on the other side. He was missing a finger.

"Otogi!? What happened to you?!"

"Can I stay at your place tonight?" Otogi asked instead of answering.

"You're missing a finger! What happened?!"

"Can I stay at your place tonight?" Otogi repeated.

"Not unless you tell me what happened."

There were tears threatening to form in his eyes. Otogi wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"I lost a game to Yugi. My dad found out, and no, he didn't cut off my finger."

"How'd you lose your finger, Otogi?"

Honda was ready to grab a baseball and beat whoever hurt his friend.

"Honda, please, drop it. My dad threw me out of my house. I'll never see him again." There was a stretch of silence. "It's been a long day, and I just want to get some rest. Can I stay with you? Please?"

Honda pulled him into a hug. Otogi relaxed into the embrace. Honda held onto him a bit longer than he needed to.

"Of course. You are always welcomed here. My mom will be delighted to see you."

"Thanks, Honda."

* * *

Yugi remembered nothing after he completed the puzzle, but he assumed that was because of something Otogi had done to him. His happiness at finally completing the puzzle overshadowed this.

Monday at lunch time, he was about to sit by himself and play cards when Jonouchi waved him over. He was smiling.

"Yugi! Sit with me and Honda today."

Honda looked surprised by this, but he didn't comment. Yugi grinned.

"Sure!" Then, quieter, he asked, "Is Otogi going to be sitting with us?"

"No." Honda answered. "Otogi's sick. He won't be coming to school for awhile."

"Fine with me. Take a seat, Yugi."

"Yeah!"

He sat down next to Honda. Jonouchi was across the two of them. He took a deep breath.

"So, Yugi, you're really into games right?" Jonouchi said. It was a bit awkward, but Yugi appreciated the attempt to make conversation. "I'm big into video games. You play any of those?"

Yugi laughed happily. "Kind of, but I don't play a lot of electronic games. I'm a big fan of Western games though, like _Magic_ and _Dungeons and Dragons._ "

As they talked, Yugi realized that the puzzle had granted his wish. While Honda was indifferent towards him, he had friend in Jonouchi.

It had also given him a sinister dark power, one he was still unaware of.


End file.
